Updated on Friday June 27, 2008 Copyright © 2000-2010 by the Louisville Clinic of TCM
Serving Louisville, Colorado and surrounding areas since 1997
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ACUPUNCTURE - CHINESE HERBS - NUTRITION - FACIAL REJUVENATION
Acupuncture is the systematic use of needles as therapeutic devices to stimulate points on people's bodies, with the goal of helping them feel better.
Acupuncture is just one of the treatment modalities of Chinese medicine. Acupuncture theory is a part of Chinese medicine theory, but there is much more to Chinese medicine than acupuncture. The other modalities of Chinese medicine are internal medicine (herbal medicine), therapeutic massage, nutritional therapy, and exercise. These modalities are often used in tandem and are applied according to the same types of theory. Herbal medicine is the focus of Chinese medicine throughout most of Asia, including China, Korea and Vietnam, since it is the most widely applicable modality. It is significant that all of the modalities are applied according to the same or similar theories; without theory as a guide, techniques cannot be effective.
Yes, when performed by a skilled practitioner. There is much more to acupuncture than just sticking needles in people, just as Western medicine is more than simply taking a pill. Practitioners have varying levels of knowledge and skill, just as they do in any other field, so the efficacy of acupuncture will vary according to the skill and understanding of the practitioner.
A pinch, followed by "qi sensation," a feeling of numbness, distension, swelling, warmth, or aching around the point, and often above and below it as well, along the course of the channel. Many styles of traditional acupuncture consider the qi sensation a prerequisite to effective treatment. Western research has so far supported this notion. Some people feel the insertion, some don't. The sensations of acupuncture vary widely among individuals.
They're not very big. The typical Chinese fine needle measures .25 to .30 millimeters in diameter, and 30-50 millimeters in length. Acupuncture needles, unlike hypodermic needles, are neither hollow nor rigid, and the tip is shaped to increase the patient's comfort during insertion. It has often been stated that anywhere from half a dozen to a dozen acupuncture needles will fit inside the bore of a hypodermic needle; this depends, of course, on the diameter of all needles under consideration. Some Japanese-made needles are quite a bit finer than their Chinese counterparts. Interestingly enough, needle diameter has very little to do with insertion comfort; needling technique and needle tip shape are much bigger factors.
Contemporary Western medicine has developed more than 17 different ways of explaining different aspects of acupuncture effects, but no unified theory. The traditional understanding of acupuncture provides a coherent framework for clinical evaluation and treatment (the channel system, five-phase theory, yin/yang theory). Western and Chinese medicine agree on the fact that it really works, and that formal studies, using techniques ranging from blood serum analysis to MRI, have documented acupuncture's efficacy in ways that are compatible with Western scientific methodology. The outcomes of many studies suggest that acupuncture is more effective when applied by a skillful practitioner using traditional theories.
Walking-around problems of all kinds. For life-threatening problems, go to the emergency room. A good acupuncturist may still treat you under such circumstances, but will also advise you to see an MD. The bottom line: try it for your problem and see if it helps. If your situation is not critical, you have nothing to lose.
It starts working right away, as soon as the qi sensation is obtained. Treatments consolidate over time if you treat with appropriate frequency (i.e. before symptoms return to pre-treatment intensity). People often feel dramatic results during the initial session. A typical course of treatment is 6-20 sessions; more or less depending on a person's history, the severity of the problem, and other factors.
Yes, it is very safe when practiced by a qualified practitioner. Disposable sterile needles and clean needling protocols make the risk of infection negligible. With distal-point styles of treatment, risks are reduced to an occasional small bruise. Acupuncture, as practiced throughout North America, has one of the best safety records of any form of health care.
None that are serious. Approximately five to ten percent of people being treated for the first time with acupuncture may experience a brief exacerbation of symptoms, light-headedness or mild nausea. An exacerbation of symptoms may last up to 48 hours and is almost always followed by a marked improvement afterward. Light-headedness and nausea are addressed by removing the needles and waiting 15-30 minutes. These effects rarely happen more than once.
Acupuncture's theoretical models are not based on faith. Acupuncture works on horses, dogs, babies, and people in comas. Its world view arises from empirical observation, and the acid test for the validity of the view is the result of its application by skillful practitioners. Simply put: faith is not a requirement.
NCCAOM certification is the national standard of minimal competency in acupuncture. Most states license or register acupuncturists, and most of those require NCCAOM certification. NCCAOM is the only board certification that requires a minimum of 1800 hours of formal academic and clinical training for eligibility. Once eligibility has been established, applicants must pass extensive examinations in acupuncture theory and practice. Formal training and testing in clean needle technique is also required. Recently, most acupuncturists train for 2500 hours or more before taking the national exam.
In addition to training and credentials, there are other important factors. Can you communicate with this person? Are they capable of working with other types of health care professionals? Do they treat you with respect and compassion? Do they have a sense of humility? A sense of humor? If the answer to any of these questions is "no," continue shopping. Choose your acupuncturist as carefully as you would choose an MD.
They all work when applied with skill and understanding. Choose what works best for you. What is most important is that your practitioner is fluent in her particular style. All styles of traditional acupuncture take many years of full-time study and clinical training to learn.
The best way to answer this question is to read your policy and/or ask your agent or employer. If your policy doesn't cover acupuncture, ask the insurance company why not. More insurance companies are paying for acupuncture now, but if yours doesn't, you may be able to switch plans or companies. Even if it isn't covered under your policy, take heart. Acupuncture is inexpensive, with a U.S. average per visit cost of about $50. Since it is so cost-effective, most people find they can afford acupuncture treatment.
This is a difficult question to answer. By Oriental medicine, most people mean any traditional medical practice of any region of Asia. Many people, Asian and Western alike, are justifiably concerned about pejorative overtones of the word "oriental." Others feel it is fine to use "oriental" and "asian" interchangeably. Edward Said's Orientalism is an interesting study of the use and misuse of this term.
Our contemporary definition of scientific method looks something like this: scientific method asks a question, suggests a hypothesis which plausibly might answer the question, and sets out to disprove the hypothesis by experimentation. If the results of experimentation do not contradict the hypothesis, the hypothesis becomes a theory; an understanding that is held to be provisionally true until further experimentation demonstrates otherwise. Since the basis of scientific method is having a falsifiable hypothesis, and a hypothesis which hasn't been falsified is held to be only provisionally true, the scientific method is incapable of proving anything beyond a doubt. Being inherently skeptical, it can only disprove. This is what makes scientific method a powerful tool. This method is remarkably similar to the much older Socratic method.
Chinese medicine arises from a similar process and is capable of being studied using contemporary western methods.
The NIH consensus statement on acupuncture is a summary review of existing research on acupuncture therapy.
<http://odp.od.nih.gov/consensus/cons/107/107_intro.htm>
All forms of medical treatment are subject to the placebo effect; most are more effective than placebo. "Double-blind" research methods are designed to minimize the placebo effect, but in clinical practice, placebo effects are both inevitable and difficult to measure or control. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, acupuncture is effective 70 percent or more of the time for problems that respond to acupuncture. In our culture, placebo is estimated to be effective about 30 percent of the time. Interestingly, the efficacy of placebo differs in different cultures. Studies have shown again and again that acupuncture treatment is significantly more effective than placebo. A long-term Danish study suggests that placebo effects may not exist at all. It's a complex issue.
The NIH consensus statement on acupuncture is a convenient starting point. A web search on "acupuncture research" may yield some interesting results. Acupuncture Efficacy, by Stephen Birch and Richard Hammerschlag, is a compendium of controlled acupuncture studies.
No. These sites, which are maintained by the same handful of individuals, have gone well beyond rational, scientific skepticism. In their view, any medical modality other than conventional medicine practiced by an MD can be considered quackish -- even nursing becomes suspect, and has been flamed repeatedly on the Quackwatch site. The usual complaint is that there is "no proof" for the efficacy of a given procedure. (Read above, "What is scientific method?" for why such demands are unscientific). Quack busters and zealous aficionados have engaged in religious debates for centuries; the signal-to-noise ratio here is about what one could expect from any other flame war on the Internet. As usual, moderation is helpful when dealing with flamers. Extremist views should always be taken with a grain of salt.
It is difficult to devise an air-tight research methodology against its clinical parameters -- difficult, but not impossible. Just as there are ethical issues around sham surgery, sham acupuncture raises concerns in medical ethics, where the highest principle is to help the patient, but do no harm. Some feel that disclosing the possibility of sham treatment in a controlled study creates a negative bias among participants. Others feel that a lack of full disclosure is morally objectionable. What is certain is that acupuncture research requires careful and innovative research designs. Further research may reveal new, more effective ways of acupuncture treatment, or it may not. After all, acupuncture has been around for a very long time.
There are colleges that teach acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine all over North America, numbering in the dozens by now. In some states, you may also take an apprenticeship or tutorial program.
There are many advantages to taking a degree program. There is more structure, and an accredited degree makes it easier to qualify for (and pass) the national exam. You can still do an apprenticeship after you receive a degree, and you will probably learn much more from it if you already have a strong foundation.
This is a possibility. If you aren't reasonably fluent in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, or Japanese, or able to put considerable effort into acquiring an Asian language, it's probably best to start with a degree program where your native language is spoken, with an Asian affiliate, where you will have the benefit of interpreters.
Research several programs and then visit their campuses. Choose a program that is accredited, feels comfortable, and allows you to meet or exceed educational requirements in the place where you wish to practice. For a list of accredited and candidate colleges, visit the website of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine: www.acaom.org
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Updated on Friday June 27, 2008 